On January 30, more than 25 members of the public made comments at the California Public Utilities Commission hearing requesting that the Commission approve funding for broadband projects in Monterey and Calaveras counties. Along with County Administrative Officers, Mayors, and community members, seven rural county Supervisors testified before the Commission in support of the Golden State Connect Authority’s (GSCA) Federal Funding Account (FFA) applications to fund last mile broadband projects in those counties. Additionally, Calaveras County and Monterey County provided nearly 100 letters combined from elected leaders, tribal leaders, business leaders, and community organizations to the Commissioners requesting that GSCA’s projects receive funding in this first round of FFA awards. Both counties also created videos of testimony from community leaders, students, and residents who could not participate in a Public Comment period.
In 2023 GSCA submitted 37 applications for FFA funding for projects in rural member counties. Projects in seven jurisdictions have been tentatively awarded to GSCA as of January. Two cornerstone projects in Calaveras and the Salinas Valley in Monterey are still outstanding. These projects will provide fiber-to-the-home connectivity to residents in these project areas and RCRC continues to advocate for approval of those applications in the first round of FFA funding.
For more information, contact RCRC Senior Policy Advocate, Tracy Rhine.